Gaza – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that its offices in Gaza sustained damage from shelling, which resulted in the deaths of 22 individuals seeking shelter near the compound.
According to an ICRC statement, “Heavy-calibre projectiles landed within metres of the office and residences of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Friday afternoon.” The organization emphasized the obligation of all parties to take precautions to prevent harm to civilians and humanitarian facilities.
The shelling incident caused significant damage to the ICRC office, surrounded by hundreds of displaced civilians living in tents, including many Palestinian colleagues of the ICRC. The nearby Red Cross Field Hospital experienced a surge in casualties, receiving 22 killed and 45 injured, with additional casualties reported.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza provided different figures, claiming 25 people were killed and 50 injured, attributing the shelling to Israel. However, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman told the BBC that initial inquiries suggested “no indication” of an Israeli strike in the area but noted that the incident is “under review.”
The ICRC decried the recent security incidents, stating, “We decry these incidents that put the lives of humanitarians and civilians at risk.” The organization highlighted this incident as one of several grave security breaches in recent days.
The ongoing conflict intensified following an unprecedented attack on southern Israel by Palestinian armed groups on October 7, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, and 251 hostages taken. Since then, the Israeli military has launched a campaign against these groups, with the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reporting over 37,390 deaths, including 14,680 children, women, and elderly people.
In related developments, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that escalating hostilities between Israel and the Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah risk triggering a regional catastrophe. Guterres urged both sides to de-escalate immediately, emphasizing that Lebanon could not afford to become “another Gaza.”
The region has seen a series of retaliatory cross-border strikes between Israel and Hezbollah, with the latter supporting Hamas in Gaza. Guterres accused both parties of increasingly warlike rhetoric, stressing the urgent need for de-escalation to prevent further regional instability.
